Carbon content in different seagrass species in Andaman Coast of Thailand

Seagrass meadows have one of the highest carbon sequestration and storage capacities than any other ecosystems. Carbon that is stored in the ecosystem is accumulated in the deposited sediment as well as in the living, above and below ground biomass, with a different rate of carbon sequestration and storage between the species. The objective of this research was to investigate carbon storage in the living plants and in the sediment among species of different size in tropical waters. The samples were collected from Phuket province, Thailand, in the high density monospecific patches of different size species (Enhalus acoroides as a big, Thalassia hemprhicii as a medium and Halophila ovalis as a small size species). Total carbon and carbon stored in above and below ground, was significantly different between the species (p<0.05), with the highest values in below ground parts of E. acoroides and T. hemprichii 238.10±85.07 and 134±21.55 g Dw m-2, respectively. Average organic carbon in the sediment was significantly different (p<0.05) as well, with E. acoroides having highest organic carbon content in the deeper layers of the sediment 1.14±0.25 % Corg, while the other two species had higher organic carbon in the top and medium layers of sediment. The results of this preliminary research propose that big size species have higher carbon content than smaller species, which reflects in higher sequestration rates of carbon from the ocean, thus reducing the ocean carbon budget. Moreover, it provides necessary information on size of the species which is the key for the future carbon storage studies in the region

Mathematical Modeling of Heat Transfer of Liquefied Natural Gas Engines

The article presents a mathematical model for pressure growth in the line supplying the engine KAMAZ with cryogenic fuel under specific insulation conditions. By using the heat balance equation the model in a simple linear form is obtained. This makes the model suitable for use in solving practical tasks related to the design of a liquefied natural gas engine fuel system. According to the above-mentioned method, the geometric parameters of the section of the main elements are determined under different external conditions and the boundary parameters of the gas fuel (maximum and minimum values of pressure, temperature, and flow). These data are necessary to determine the consumption, hydraulic and project features of the project. Fuel pipes are optimized (for hydraulic resistance, pressure and flow impulses, structural strength) to improve the accuracy of fuel dosing. The adequacy of the model was tested on a special modified test stand

Germination of Seeds and Growth of Young Cropson the Mine Dump Soil of Kišnica and Its Surrounding Area

The percentage of seed germination and growth of young plants of wheat crops (Triticum vulgare L.), barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and maize (Zea mays L.) on the substrate of the mine dump of Kišnica mine and its surrounding area was studied. The growth of young plants was monitored for 25 days from sowing. The results obtained during the study showed that the percentage of seed germination and the growth of the studied plants varied depending on both the plant species and on the concentration of the pollutants in the used soil from different sites, as well as the distance of the sites from the pollutant emitters. The highest percentage of germination was observed in wheat seeds from the site Gračanica (3 km away from the emitter) and the smallest percentage of germination was found in barley seeds from the site Kišnica mine. The fastest growth was recorded in the wheat from the site Gračanica, and the greatest inhibition during plant growth was recorded in the corn from the site Kišnica mine pit where the height of stem was only 2.45%25 compared to the control. Toxic substances (heavy metals from the mine dump of Kišnica mine) had the inhibitory effect on the seed germination. Low concentrations of heavy metals in the soil from Gračanica stimulated the growth of plants that, after 25 days of growth, was stopped in all the plants growing on that soil. However, high concentrations of heavy metals inhibited seed germination and the growth of young plants on the substrate from Kišnica mine. The inhibition or stimulation of seed germination and the growth of young plants in the presence of heavy metals in the soil was caused by the inhibition or activation of the enzymatic system responsible for the metabolic processes during morphogenesis

Effect of external daylight in smart dimmable LED lighting systems

This paper presents an energy-efficient solution for the smart light-emitting diode (LED) lighting system, which simultaneously provides minimal energy consumption and satisfies users’ illuminance requirements. Typical office space is illuminated by artificial light received from dimmable LED lamps, as well as daylight coming from external sources, i.e., the sunlight. Besides the possibility to dim LED lamps resulting in reduced LED output power, total illumination intensity at users’ location can be managed by reducing overall daylight. The idea to decrease daylight intensity is realized by option to dim the windows in order to properly exploit external lighting. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm provides greater level of users’ satisfaction related to illuminance requirements

ALERGENE BILJKE NA TERITORIJI GRADA KRAGUJEVCA

The paper presents the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of allergenic plants in the urban area of the Kragujevac city. The ecological characteristics of these plants were determined through ecological index and life forms. During the conducted floristic study, the presence of 78 allergenic plants was determined. Half of the recorded allergenic plant species are woody ornamental plant species. Floristic analysis shows that the allergenic plants are from the Pinophyta and Magnoliophyta divisions from 19 families, most commonly conifers and grasses.Publishe

Blue Carbon Opportunities: seagrass carbon storage and accumulation rates at Trang, Thailand

Report prepared as a contribution to the IKI Project “Conservation of biodiversity, seagrass ecosystems and their services – safeguarding food security and resilience in vulnerable coastal communities in a changing climate” funded through the International Klimate Initiative (IKI). The IKI Project is a partnership between the CMS, Edith Cowan University, Project Seagrass, Seagrass Watch, Murdoch University, MRS, Blue Ventures, SAN, C3, ZSL, MareCet and Yapeka. The collaboration enhances the understanding of seagrass ecosystem services and the capacity to develop and deliver science-based policy solutions in seagrass conservation. It brings together scientists, policy experts, business development experts and conservation NGOs across the globe to provide expert and independent advice on seagrass ecosystems services and how these might be relevant to policy and financial solutions to marine conservation issues. This report deals specifically with the assessment of seagrass blue carbon ecosystem services

Smart dimmable LED lighting systems

This paper proposes energy-efficient solutions for the smart light-emitting diode (LED) lighting system, which provides minimal energy consumption while simultaneously satisfying illuminance requirements of the users in a typical office space. In addition to artificial light from dimmable LED lamps, natural daylight coming from external sources, such as windows, is considered as a source of illumination in an indoor environment. In order to reduce total energy consumption, the smart LED system has the possibility to dim LED lamps, resulting in reduced LED output power. Additionally, various LED lamps’ functionality, such as semi-angle of the half illuminance and LED tilting, are introduced as an additional parameter to be optimized to achieve greater energy saving of the designed system. In order to properly exploit external lighting, the idea to reduce overall daylight intensity at a users’ location is realized by the option to dim the windows with a shading factor. Based on the users’ requirements for a minimal and desired level of illumination, the proposed optimization problems can be solved by implementing different optimization algorithms. The obtained solutions are able to give instructions to a smart LED system to manage and control system parameters (LEDs dimming levels, semi-angles of the half illuminance, orientation of LEDs, the shading factor) in order to design total illumination, which ensures minimal energy consumption and users’ satisfaction related to illuminance requirements

Endorhizosphere of indigenous succulent halophytes: a valuable resource of plant growth promoting bacteria

The adaptability of halophytes to increased soil salinity is related to complex rhizosphere interactions. In this study, an integrative approach, combining culture-independent and culture-dependent techniques was used to analyze the bacterial communities in the endorizosphere of indigenous succulent halophytes Salicornia europaea, Suaeda maritima, and Camphorosma annua from the natural salt marshes of Slano Kopovo (Serbia). The 16 S rDNA analyses gave, for the first time, an insight into the composition of the endophytic bacterial communities of S. maritima and C. annua. We have found that the composition of endophyte microbiomes in the same habitat is to some extent influenced by plant species. A cultivable portion of the halophyte microbiota was tested at different NaCl concentrations for the set of plant growth promoting (PGP) traits. Through the mining of indigenous halotolerant endophytes, we obtained a collection representing a core endophyte microbiome conferring desirable PGP traits. The majority (65%) of the selected strains belonged to the common halotolerant/halophilic genera Halomonas, Kushneria, and Halobacillus, with representatives exhibiting multiple PGP traits, and retaining beneficial traits in conditions of the increased salinity. The results suggest that the root endosphere of halophytes is a valuable source of PGP bacteria supporting plant growth and fitness in salt-affected soils. © 2023, The Author(s)